On a Mission to Prevent English Teacher Burnout

Last week, I was having coffee with my neighbor-friend Jenn, who works as a therapist, and I noticed some adult coloring books on sale at the shop.

“That’s trendy,” I said.

“And therapeutic,” she replied, going on to explain how she often has her teen and adult clients color during their counseling sessions. She even gives some sheets to stressed out clients to complete as homework. Huh. Since everything in my brain circles back to my classroom, I thought, “Okay then, let’s give it a try.”

Five reasons we should break out the colored pencils:
1. Research shows that Jenn’s right – coloring not only lowers students’ stress, but can also boost their grades.
2. It’s state testing season and the kids need a brain break.
3. April is National Poetry Month and this little lesson is an easy way to help kids connect with verse.
4. Moms (and those doing the jobs of moms) deserve more love than they get, especially from our teens.
5. Let’s keep it real – you need a break and probably should color a card, too.

Hope you put these free print-and-go materials to good use. Send me a picture or post and tag me on Instagram. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!

Teach on, everyone.

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8 Comments

You really are incredible! Not only is your blog an amazing source of inspiration (and dare I say, therapy) for how secondary teachers can revitalize the educational experiences and opportunities for their students, but your TPT resources are new and dynamic ways to enhance (or even replace) existing content for better student engagement. On top of that, you manage to create and share resources like this for FREE!
I’ve said this before, but it warrants another mention — you are the type of teacher that I aspire to become. Thanks again for sharing!

Ah, Abrahamangel, thanks for your words and ongoing support of my work! I really try hard to build things that’ll help all of us have longevity in our careers while helping our students gets excited about school. I do have costs involved in this venture, of course (web maintenance fees/stock art and fonts/tech and such), but I always try to give everyone great value and, when possible, lots and lots of free stuff! So glad you found my blog and appreciate my efforts. Can’t wait to see what your kids create! 🙂

Perfect timing! After Spring Break, students will be taking our state assessments. That double-whammy will fry their brains. Since we are not allowed to give homework, I will allow students to work on these cards for a relaxing, therapeutic class. Thank you, Laura, for saving the day – again!

I didn’t think to snap a picture, but this was a hit with my Seniors and Sophomores. At first they weren’t sure they wanted to do this, but once they got going, they visited and shared stories about parents, discussed the poems, debated color schemes, etc., and were sad when it was time to open up their textbooks again. As usual, I was blown away by their creativity, especially when they added their own poetry and art. Thanks for another fun way to show them that literature really can be a part of their lives.

Terrific, Jenn! So glad to hear the kids enjoyed the activity. My kids were cricket-quiet while working on these last week – definitely a welcomed surprise that allowed me to get (mostly) caught up on grading. 🙂